Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong statement on Media Freedom Coalition announcement: Closure of media outlets in Hong Kong
Monday 7th February – This evening, following the statement by the UK Government as part of the Media Freedom Coalition – Closure of media outlets in Hong Kong (here) – Mark Clifford, President of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, has called on signatory nations to consider sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials in response to their flagrant and repeated breaches of Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The Media Freedom Coalition, comprising the UK, United States, Lithuania, Germany, and countries from across the globe, has urged Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities to respect freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong, in line with the Basic Law and China’s obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Poignantly, the statement comes in the midst of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. It says: “These ongoing actions further undermine confidence in Hong Kong’s international reputation through the suppression of human rights, freedom of speech and free flow and exchange of opinions and information. A stable and prosperous Hong Kong in which human rights and fundamental freedoms are protected should be in everybody’s interest.”
Responding on behalf of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, Mr Clifford said:
“Though this statement is late, we welcome the engagement from governments around the world and the growing international consensus to speak up in support of the people of Hong Kong.
“However, this statement can only be the beginnings of an internationally coordinated response against China’s violations of human rights in Hong Kong. The international community must respond in a concerted fashion and levy sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials who are found to have engaged in the subversion of the Basic Law and disregarded China’s responsibilities under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
“We have been calling on governments around the globe to sit up and take notice of the actions by China and its puppet administration in Hong Kong. Beijing’s clinical and rapid dismembering of basic personal, political and press freedoms in Hong Kong has fundamentally damaged its integrity and is causing lasting damage to a once prosperous and stable region.
“Scrutiny is necessary, but words alone will not halt Beijing’s attack on the press in Hong Kong. Sanctions are the logical and necessary next step if we are to have any hope of saving Hong Kong and its people.”
ENDS
About the CFHK
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong presses for political and economic consequences for China’s failure to keep its promises to respect Hong Kong’s freedoms; supports the rule of law, freedom of expression, and the release of political prisoners; and urges the business community to stand against China’s assault on freedom and the danger it poses to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center. Hong Kong’s fate is linked to the preservation of freedom, democracy, and international law in the region and around the world.
For more information, please contact:
media@thecfhk.org
www.thecfhk.org
@thecfhk
The Media Freedom Coalition, comprising the UK, United States, Lithuania, Germany, and countries from across the globe, has urged Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities to respect freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong, in line with the Basic Law and China’s obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Poignantly, the statement comes in the midst of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. It says: “These ongoing actions further undermine confidence in Hong Kong’s international reputation through the suppression of human rights, freedom of speech and free flow and exchange of opinions and information. A stable and prosperous Hong Kong in which human rights and fundamental freedoms are protected should be in everybody’s interest.”
Responding on behalf of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, Mr Clifford said:
“Though this statement is late, we welcome the engagement from governments around the world and the growing international consensus to speak up in support of the people of Hong Kong.
“However, this statement can only be the beginnings of an internationally coordinated response against China’s violations of human rights in Hong Kong. The international community must respond in a concerted fashion and levy sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials who are found to have engaged in the subversion of the Basic Law and disregarded China’s responsibilities under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
“We have been calling on governments around the globe to sit up and take notice of the actions by China and its puppet administration in Hong Kong. Beijing’s clinical and rapid dismembering of basic personal, political and press freedoms in Hong Kong has fundamentally damaged its integrity and is causing lasting damage to a once prosperous and stable region.
“Scrutiny is necessary, but words alone will not halt Beijing’s attack on the press in Hong Kong. Sanctions are the logical and necessary next step if we are to have any hope of saving Hong Kong and its people.”
ENDS
About the CFHK
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong presses for political and economic consequences for China’s failure to keep its promises to respect Hong Kong’s freedoms; supports the rule of law, freedom of expression, and the release of political prisoners; and urges the business community to stand against China’s assault on freedom and the danger it poses to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center. Hong Kong’s fate is linked to the preservation of freedom, democracy, and international law in the region and around the world.
For more information, please contact:
media@thecfhk.org
www.thecfhk.org
@thecfhk